Bill to eliminate ‘straight-party' voting heads to Abbott's desk

House Bill 25, which received its final approval from the House on Saturday, will require voters to go through each race on a ballot and vote on each candidate.

Author:
KVUE Staff

Published:
1:14 PM CDT May 22, 2017

Updated:
1:14 PM CDT May 22, 2017

A proposal to eliminate straight-ticket or straight-party voting is heading to the governor’s desk to become law.

House Bill 25, which received its final approval from the House on Saturday, will require voters to go through each race on a ballot and vote on each candidate. The Texas Tribune reported that the bill passed the Texas Senate over objections of Democrats who warned of unintended consequences.

"Frankly, I don’t see any purpose for this legislation other than trying to dilute the vote of Democrats and, more specifically, minorities," state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, told the Tribune.

State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, said the bill will force voters to make more informed decisions in individual elections.

If signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, HB 25 will go into effect Sept. 1, 2020.